I was just about to make a post about this

Here's the Government response.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644412/government-response-to-exempting-vehicles-of-historical-interest-from-roadworthiness.pdf

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

My reading of this is that modified vehicles built before 1988? will be exempt from the 8 point 'substantially modified' rules...

If so the Gold Star special I wanted to build is back on the cards...Any comments on that?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

If the frame has a V5 then they have no way of knowing when it was put together, and with an engine from the same make, there would be nothing on the log book to tell them and no homologation specs to refer to anyway.

If you have to register it now then you'll be relying on how much the Owner's Club report goes to town on things.

Looking at it logically, there isn't really any reason to allow specials based on old parts to be treated as historic vehicles.

Exhaust bandage and a tractor seat should be enough to warrant loss of privileges :-)

A sidecar is quite a large percentage of a combination, I wonder it that counts?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Well there is a yes & no case for that.
We have had Historic registrations for around 40 years.
Originally it was done through the clubs and now it is done through the RMS so all plates are on the computer records thus camera detected offences can now be enforced.
In the earlier system, we all had our own unique coloured plates and each club had numbers starting from 001, thus there were dozens of 010 & 020 etc with the distinguishing feature being a club name bar that the camera could not resolve and different colour combinations which again the infra red cameras can not resolve.
So now we draw from a common pool of numbers so each number is unique.
As for safety checks, the clubs are responsible for ensuring every members vehicle is roadworthy, mainly due to things like modern mechanics inability to access if dummy rim brakes are actually working.

As for specials, our system originally was for "catalogue correct" bikes thus Tritons or Norvins were inelligible .
When the "new scheme" came in it was a bit tighter so all the Healey & MG owners were forced to take the Datsun engines out & put the Austins back in.

I personally, being the Club Registrar have removed plates from 2 members and sent several letters to the department about unsafe "specials" with the aforemantioned lagged exhausts & tractor seats.
At least one club I complained about has been excluded so self regulation does seem to work.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Here in the UK only the keeper/user of a vehicle is responsible for roadworthiness...

As far as motorcycles are concerned to retain their original registration number (if they have been off the road and don't have the latest registration document) they must have an unaltered original frame and have two of the following...original forks, original wheels, original engine, original gearbox....

So it possible to build a Triton for example, if it has an unaltered featherbed frame and two of the listed items above (which doesn't have to include the engine or gearbox...)

Generally the authorities accept engine changes even if it's a bigger engine..A friend of mine recently changed his Norton Commando from 850cc to 920cc without any problem and could have used another engine altogether..

Changes CAN be virtually unlimited but then the original registration number cannot be retained (a 'Q' plate will be issued), there will be no MOT exemption and initial registration is more complicated...

So, when it comes to building a special if you want to retain the reg.number you need a friendly/flexible inspection officer from the relevant club and you have to be mindful of what you can alter...

The main point I suppose is that (obvious) frame alterations are out...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ian, in the draft guidance notes for VHIs, they are suggesting that engine swaps will be allowed if no more than a 15% power to weight increase over original.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/roadworthiness-testing-for-vehicles-of-historic-interest

This is mostly car based of course and they say that bikes may differ...but Norton used identical rolling chassis from the 17 bhp Model 50 right up to the 55 bhp Atlas....and in fact changing a 350 engine to a 500 would fall foul of the guidlines.

What about chops and customs that were created over 40 years ago with altered frames, raked forks etc. The WHOLE bike has been together for 40+ years. How would that work?

email (option): stinkypete80 @hotmail.com